Mt. St. Helen National Volcanic Monument

Since May 2000 was the 20th anniversary of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, we decided to take a day excursion there. You get a sense of the eruption's devastation when you realize that the western approach which we took, Highway 504 (renamed Spirit Lake Memorial Highway) did not even reopen until 1992, some 12 years after the eruption.

The eruption blew off 1300 feet from the mountain and produced temperatures estimated at 1600 degrees (F). The eruption produced a debris avalanche so powerful it was able to crest a 3000 foot ridge. A new lake (Coldwater) was created. Spirit Lake produced a tidal wave 800 feet high as it rose 600 feet in a few minutes from the debris.

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Toutle river from 2000 feet	Toutle river close up	View from Elk Rock (3800 feet)

The blast created a "stone wind" traveling 600 mph which embedded debris into the earth miles away. Camera was horizontal when this photo was taken along the Coldwater Ridge blast zone trail.	View from Coldwater trail	"Hummocks" (center) created by the blast

Along the hummocks trail	Susie on the trail...	The Johnson Ridge memorial to those killed by the eruption

On the Johnson Ridge trail	On the Johnson Ridge trail	Proof of Bigfoot !